Into the cornfield
1862
Union General George McClellan and his officers stand on a ridge in this hasty sketch, watching the smoke of battle rise in the distance. The artist's handwriting at the bottom identifies the scene and notes that the 'fight in the cornfield' is drawn on the reverse side—a reference to the infamous Miller's Cornfield at the Battle of Antietam in 1862, one of the bloodiest days in American history. Alfred Waud, a special artist for Harper's Weekly, created this eyewitness account while riding with the troops, capturing the grim reality of the Civil War in real-time long before combat photography was common.
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